Our Team
We bring different perspectives to the table, but we’re united by a love for purposeful work, thoughtful design, and real connection.
Dani Alcalde-Sidloski
Dani Alcalde-Sidloski (she/her/they/them) is a Filipinx-Canadian settler living in the stolen and occupied lands of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmaɁɬ təməxʷ (Musqueam) nations.
Dani is a prairie farm girl who sewed her heart onto her sleeve and then followed it out to the West Coast 11 years ago. She is a long-time book lover, bookseller, and one of the co-founders of the FilCan Book Festival and Place To Be Grief Library. You can find Dani between the book stacks at Iron Dog Books, finding homes for her favourite fantasy novels and weird novels in her community of East Vancouver. She is also a certified breathwork & mindfulness practitioner, a part-time quilter, and a full-time dreamer.
Director of Programming & Outreach
Asia Alcalde-Sidloski
Asia Alcalde-Sidloski (she/her) is a Filipina-Canadian creative originally from the prairies of Saskatchewan, who now lives in Vancouver, BC. Much of who she is, is rooted in her Filipino family and culture, especially the values of closeness, care and resilience. She works as an assistant director in film and more recently, as a matcha-rista. Asia finds joy in dance, travel, photography and baking, which are some of the many ways she continues to shape her life with intention and connection.
Operations Specialist
Director of Marketing & Grant WriterNathalie De Los Santos
Nathalie De Los Santos (NAT-uh-lee dee lohs SAHN-tohs) (she/her/they/them) is a writer and creative. She created PilipinxPages, a platform that features Filipinx authors. She was a fellow of the 2025 Lambda Literary Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices, where she workshopped her YA fantasy novel Diyosa Mata under the mentorship of Aiden Thomas. Her short story “Bakunawa and the Seven Sisters” was shortlisted by Fractured Lit's Ghost, Fable and Fairy Tales Prize (judged by Dan Chaon). She won Anvil Press’s 3-Day Novel Contest in 2024, and her winning novel, Debt of the Heart, is forthcoming from Anvil Press in Winter 2027.
Nathalie is one of the key organizers of the Filipino-Canadian Book Festival. Her work has appeared in Magdaragat: An Anthology of Filipino-Canadian Writing, The Globe and Mail, SAD Magazine, and more. She also hosts the Filipino Fairy Tales, Mythology, and Folklore podcast. Her current novel in progress, Bakunawa and the Seven Sisters, is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the BC Arts Council.
Communications & PR SpecialistDee de los Santos
Dee de los Santos is a Vancouver-based consultant, writer, and PR professional with over 25 years of experience across film, food, culture, and community. Her work has included the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Filipino Canadian Book Festival, La Taqueria, and Blasted Church Vineyards, among others.
Deeply rooted in Vancouver's communities, Dee also serves as Gala Coordinator and Digital Marketing Lead for the Children's Heart Network, and is the voice behind Gastrofork, a long-running food and travel blog. As a mom and active school parent, she brings both personal and professional insight into the importance of family-centred support networks.
Dee is passionate about amplifying underrepresented voices and building meaningful connections — values that align closely with the mission of the Filipino Canadian Book Festival.